Christmas Carol: Deck the Halls

Deck the Halls
Old Welsh Air

Although most of us now live in rooms rather than vast, vaulted halls, we still deck them out at Christmastime — with holly, wreaths, flowers, colors, anything our imaginations can conjure up. The old traditions suggested by this song would seem to indicate that it is of ancient English vintage. But, although the origins of the melody are shrouded in antiquity, with indications that it originated in Wales, the familiar words, whose origins are also obscure, are believed to be American. And if you wonder why American lyrics would make such a point of celebrating old English customs, the answer is that they were produced in the United States in the 19th century, when Washington Irving was glorifying English customs and Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol was at the height of its first popularity. Click here to listen to Deck the Halls!

Deck the halls with boughs of holly,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
‘Tis the season to be jolly.
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Don we now our gay apparel,
Fa la, fa la la la la.
Troll the ancient Yuletide carol,
Fa la la la la la la la la.

See the blazing Yule before us.
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Strike the harp and join the chorus,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Follow me in merry measure,
Fa la, fa la la la la.
While I tell of Yuletide treasure,
Fa la la la la la la la la.